Non Est as Astra Mollis e Terris Via
by Steelhistory
Summary: A young Kerbonaut fresh out of internship, must preform the most dangerous space mission ever conceived.
1. A note before reading:

A few notes before you begin reading:

This story is assuming that the player does not use "Revert Flight" buttons.

This story assumes that the kerbals have not yet reached the Mun yet.

This story is Fan-Fiction about a game with very little lore. It won't be perfect.

I'm not adding "K" to everything related to Kerbals, because that's just annoying.

Rum is cool. Don't diss it.

Please, enjoy.

Non Est ad Astra Mollis e Terris Via

(There is no Easy Way from the Earth to the Stars)


	2. Prologue

Prologue - The Discovery

"Perhaps a bit to the left? Nay. Just that ball of light again."

He wrote something on a Piece of paper with his quill that looked like a large red 'X'

"I keep telling thine, but no… 'There hath to be something else out there', thou say. well I'll keep doing this, but thy result is the same. There's nothing."

He rotated the telescope a bit down.

"Nothing, not a single thing, not even-"

His words were interrupted by a sudden gasp. The gasp came from his own mouth.

"Well I'll be."

He stood up, and looked at the object in the sky, writing something massive on the same piece of paper. it looked important. His face beamed with a mix of excitement and embarrassment, but mostly hunger. He threw the quill back into the vial of ink, and bolted for his coat, nearly tripping on some books that had been strewn across the room. As he exited the room, he slammed the door with such ferocity; the wall tumbled down behind him. It didn't matter though, it was there as a temporary housing, one that was themed like the fourteenth century, so that when they found another planet, they wouldn't feel too bad about themselves for having been so late about finding it.

He ran through a suburb, until he reached the bus stop to Western Kerbal University, but got immediately rejected because he didn't have a dollar-fifty. So, he "borrowed" a bicycle from a nearby House, and rode three miles until he realized he was heading east. So he had to pedal fifteen miles back.

He arrived at the office of Wernher Von Kerman, The lead expert on extra terrestrial planets. He knocked at the door before Hearing,

"Come on in."

He did such, and upon entering, found himself in front of one of the most massive telescopes he had ever seen. It had a width of about two meters, and required a chair about one meter high to see through the eyepiece. There were about four cleaning boys working to make it shine. On the other side of the room, it resembled a classier establishment. There was a Mahogany desk, dwarfed by the size of the massive equipment, with a few papers on it, a fancy pen holder, made from marble and behind it, was a large painting, depicting a Kerbal holding a hollowed out squash over his face, and pouring its contents onto himself. The description read 'The discovery of water'. Wernher looked over his shoulder, put on his characteristic smile, and walked over.

"Ah! Friedrich! How goes the search, my boy?"

Friedrich walked up to him and motioned to come over. Wernher, nodded, motioned at his helpers to continue cleaning, and walked over.

"Sir, I have three things to report. First, my name is Fred, not Friedrich. Second, I believe I have found a planet."

"A WHAT!?" Wernher yelled, making the cleaners nervous.

"A planet, sir. I've found one," he replied, hands shaking.

"What's the third thing then?" Wernher asked.

"Lunch tomorrow was canceled."

Wernher took off his glasses, rubbing his sweaty forehead.

"What?! How could they do this?"

Fred looked nervously around, then said,

"Because Wednesday was also canceled."

Manfred opened up his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by a cleaning boy.

"Sir, do you want this off the big telescope?"

He held up a massive lens cover.

"I took it off of the telescope to clean it."

"No, no, Leave that on." Wernher said. "I need to find out why i can't see out of the darned thing, also, I have important matters to attend to. You are all dismissed."

All the Kerbals left the room except Fred, Wernher returned to his desk, And said,

"Well I guess you know what this means. You've been with me long enough to know that we need the Kerbin Parliament to kick enough funds our way to build a space center, not to mention that we need to find as many willing volunteers as possible."

Wernher stood up.

"Can I count on you Freddy?"

Fred Shook his head at the nickname, then said,

"You always can sir."

They shook hands and Wernher said,

"Good. Make it so… Heh, I've always wanted to say that, Makes me feel like I'm already in space".

He leaves the office, holding a letter addressed to the Kerbin Parliament, With the Highly important stamp of importance upon its seal, thinking to himself,

"Let's go make history".

"And return that bike".


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

_ It had been four years since the discovery of the Mun, and three years since the construction of the massive space center complex that now occupied one of Kerbin's largest peninsulas involved some of the most high tech hardware available , as well as recruiting some of the most well trained Kerbals on the planet._

_This is what they taught at the training academy, in reality, the complex had about four buildings, and the 'high tech hardware' was junkyard parts that were thrown together with duct tape. The only well trained one was the leader of the show, Gene Kerman. But aside from all of this, the one good thing about being a mere intern at the Center was the experience, from the other's mistakes; Mainly one by the name of Jebediah Kerman, whose popularity was only outmatched by his ability to survive any crash. He was the one the little Kerbals looked up to, and the one everyone wanted to be. But, Our story is not of this hero, but rather, another one, by the name of Sonrey. Sonrey Kerman. But his story is already unfolding, and faster than he knows._

_"Adjust your takeoff vector to point oh-zero-niner"_

A young Kerbal runs down a hall, nearly tripping on his own feet.

_"Rog. What exactly is an 'oh-zero-niner?"_

He skids to a stop, and rests near a window with a view of the launch pad.

_"A technical term, I felt like saying it. How's it going up there?"_

The young Kerbal pressed his face up to the glass. He noticed a slight puff of black smoke emit from the left engine.

_"It's looking good, primary burn complete, detaching."_

"As soon as that ship fires up its engines, it's going to blow." the Kerbal thought to himself.

_"I'm Starting the liquid fuel burn now."_

He was pleasantly surprised to find that the engine had not blown, and the puff of black smoke had dissipated.

_"Control, I'm getting a red light up here"_

The Kerbal took his face off of the glass, and looked at the smudge he had made on it. He rubbed at it with his shirt sleeve but was interrupted by an explosion, and looking up, he saw the ship missing an engine, and was spiraling towards the ground.

_"Which red light was that?"_

He looked at the ship, and thought to himself, "Fuel line ruptured, Starboard."

_"Fuel line ruptured, Starboard."_

He looked out beyond the ship and saw the Mun in the evening sky, illuminated by the sun across the solar system.

_"Okay Jeb, we'll get you out of this, now just do as we say…"_

His eyes darted back to the ship which was now engulfed in flames.

_"Alright, exiting the capsule now."_

The capsule was the only part, undamaged by the flame, it would appear like that would be the safest place, but not for Jebediah Kerman. Like usual.

_"We need you to re-attach the external fuel duct to the main engine"_

He saw a small figure open the capsule door and step out. No doubt, this was one of his few talents.

_"Removing starboard Gutter- I mean, Fuel duct now."_

Jebediah was perched dangerously on the external ladder. Even from the ground, it looked like a scary drop.

_"Complete! Alright mission control; what do I need to do now?"_

The young Kerbal heard a loud cheer from the mission control room, just down the hall.

_"Now, you're going to need to slowly lower the ship down, we spent three hundred dollars on that thing, after all."_

The young Kerbal saw no point in watching the landing. He knew how it would end. The 'glorious' Jebediah Kerman would receive another award for surviving the un-survivable. He couldn't help this feeling of greed, the incessant want to be like... Him. He shook the thought away, and began to walk back to his station.

His 'station' was actually to assist Mr. Wernher Von Kerman, as an intern, and deliver messages to, and from him. The room was half office, half observation equipment, with a massively large telescope to the left of the entrance. There was a newspaper clipping behind his desk of what he called, 'His Finest Hour' where he and his old colleague Fred Kerman had discovered the Mun. In the corner, an old discarded painting had been thrown on the ground, looking closer; it was the 'Discovery of Water' painting. He felt bad for the poor painting, but he turned his attention back to Wernher. Today, it looked like it would be a light day. He was looking for more planets.

"Ah! Sonrey, my boy! How are you today?" He seemed quite chipper.

"I'm well." He replied, "And yourself?"

"Great! Better than great actually, I may have discovered a new Moon!" This was a shock. The last time he made a "discovery", it was a fly on the lens. He had to explain to the entire parliamentary why he had brought them fifty miles to his lab, only to tell them that it was a fly.

"Are you sure it's a moon? I thought that Kerbin only had the two." Wernher jumped off of his chair, and walked over to the large window the telescope was looking through.

"When I said moon, M'boy, I meant a moon of another planet."

"What!?" Sonrey bolted over to the telescope, and looked through. The image was rather blurry, so he adjusted the focus. It came into view as a small blue speck in the sky.

"Wow. That's impressive." He sat up and looked at Wernher who, was now looking out as the sun dipped lower and lower beyond the horizon. He seemed troubled.

"What's the matter, sir?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, nothing at all. I was just wondering how I should tell you..." Sonrey walked over and put his hand on Wernher's shoulder.

"Tell me what, sir?" He turned around and looked into his eyes with a sullen gaze, his mustache Moving with the motion of his upper lip.

"I know you've been with me for almost all of your internship. But... I was offered a job as Lead Scientist, And, I'm sorry to say this M'boy, but, you're going to have to complete your internship under the tutelage of another professor." His heart skipped a beat. The last three years with Professor Wernher were some of the best in his life, now the thought of his departure was, startling. He recalled all the good times he had, like the day when they discovered Helium. Sonrey remembered accidentally switching the oxygen tanks with the Helium ones for one of Jebediah's EVA Flights. The sound of him with a Helium-filled voice nearly made the whole ground crew contract aneurysms from the laughter. Then there were the low times, like the death of his mother, and the massive failure of the Mun 10 launch, where he had ensured that a Mun landing would be possible. and it very well would have, had he not accidentally slingshot them into the sun. His mind came back into focus in the now, and he realized that Wernher was still staring at him.

"Who will be my new professor?" He inquired,

"Whoever takes you, That's how it works here." Sonrey looked around, he became worried. What if nobody wanted him, what if, he never finished his internship?

"I can see the worry in your eyes, M'boy." He said calmly, "But don't worry, you're practically the crème of the crop here. There's opportunity out there, you just got to go get it." He smiled, and Sonrey decided he was right. He was going to do just fine.

"Well, I had better finish this report on the new discovery. I only have two days until I need to move. And you need to apply for a new Tutor." Sonrey nodded, and made a mental note to pick up a form at the office.

"Well, until later, I guess." Wernher nodded, then said,

"Wait, before you leave, here's a list of the new professors, Just for a reference source." He handed him the pamphlet that said 'Your New Job, and You.' Sonrey nodded in thanks and left the room.

Was he really leaving for good? He rubbed his forehead and slumped against the door.

_"I guess this is just a new beginning."_

"Here you are Mr. Sonrey" Sonrey took his receipt from the secretary with long brown hair.

"Thanks Tara." He had Submitted his form to the three professors he hoped to get chosen by. His top choice was Fred Kerman, Wernher's old Colleague, and friend. He already knew Fred, so that would make easier for the both of them. Also, he was a nice fellow. His second Choice was Kalvin Kerman, the assistant head of physics. He had his physics class for a semester, where he came to like the man, despite his obsession of space Krakens. The last choice was the Director of the space tracking center, Russell Kerman. He didn't personally know the man, but during an engineering lesson, he had given a very good lecture on the importance of well-built Ships, and how to use duct tape with toothpicks more efficiently. His stomach grumbled at the thought, He figured he should get some lunch at the center's Astronaut Complex.

The complex was a large, half-ovaled building, between the R&D labs and Space plane Hangar. Inside, the building was constantly filled with, chatter, music, and fun. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go into the Astro Lounge, on the left half of the building; that was reserved for the actual Astronauts. He, instead had to go to the Cadet's Lounge, which was created for the high-ranking ground crew, and interns.

Inside, the building was filled with Kerbals lounging around, and enjoying a preflight drink, with the ways that the program tested, it might very well be their last. The bar was long, and stretched from one side of the room almost to the other. There was a large glass window, which separated the lounge from the workout room. He walked up to the bar and ordered a Ham sandwich with rum in ice. The bartender passed him the drink and he nodded in thanks. The image viewer displayed the recent happenings on the news, as some peaceful protections over unshielded docking ports were turning violent. As he was enjoying the drink, he was surprised by A familiar voice that said,

"How's the drink?" He swigged down the last of the rum, and replied,

"Had Better." He looked over and at first didn't recognize the leather jacketed man, but he immediately remembered that voice.

"Milbo! You goof ball. How's it going?" Milbo sat up and picked up his drink, took a drink and said,

"Pretty good, the board of directors confirmed my request to be a new test pilot; I'm going up in three days." He started to eye the snack bowl.

"Wow, look at you, already a test pilot." Sonrey had a nostalgic feeling overcome him. He thought back to his childhood days when He, Milbo and Ozbon were best of friends. He remembered how much trouble they got into, but they didn't care, it was all worth it. He remembered once when Ozbon dared them to steal a old boat, and jump in it when it was on an inch of thin ice. The ice broke twelve feet around them and the boat fell into the water. While they were sitting, waiting for help, Sonrey accidentally fell off and into the cold, dark water. Ozbon pulled him up out of the water, and Milbo started laughing nervously, but as children, the laughs were contagious, and they broke into laughter. It was both one of the worst moments of his childhood, but also one of the best, as it proved that Ozbon always had his back.

"I remember when you and I stole that taxicab, and disassembled it completely!" They both were consumed in laughter, Milbo continued,

"And -Ha-ha- We reassembled it in the principal's office at three in the morning!" They Were both buckling now.

"Talk about, An -Heh- Early Commute!" Sonrey's gut hurt from laughing. But it was a good pain, the kind that made you feel young again.

"Sonrey, it's been a long time since we last saw each other and... frankly I'm not sure this was a good idea."

"What wasn't a good idea? Seeing me again?" Sonrey looked into Milbo's eyes; they were filled with a mix of emotion.

"No, no, not you. The test piloting program. I know that I want to do this, but the problem is that-" He looked around nervously and handed him a manila file labeled 'Test Pilot Program Statistics'. He sighed and started up again,

"The casualty rate, it's practically everyone. Ninety-Eight Percent of men that go up there don't come back down." He looked down sheepishly. Sonrey looked at him and thought for a second, while flipping through the book, everything that he had done, and given back to the world, And to have it all thrown away in a split second of a ship implosion. it wasn't a happy thought.

" Ah, I'm not scared, Sonrey." He faked a face of pride.

"I mean, it's not like we were gonna live forever, right?" Milbo chuckled nervously and gave him the smile that made you feel confident no matter the situation. He took the file back and put it back under his arm. A cheer came from the billiard table. Sonrey pushed his glass back to the bartender, and put his hand on Milbo's shoulder.

"It's good to see you again, old friend."


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Helping hands

_A brisk winter morning, offset by the fading fog across the iced lake. Three children made a dare that left them stranded upon a watery island. The smallest one falls in. Falls. Fall. Fell. The larger one pulls him in, and tells the third one to tell no one. The smallest one is freezing on the boat, unaware of what really happened._

Sonrey woke up, rubbing his head. His dream was, strange to say the least, but why his mind decided to recall to that day, he didn't know. He was laying in his bed, which was a part of a hall that stretched down to the main hall, where it led to the rest of the complex. The hall had a white floor, a dark grey wall, and the bunks were almost like tiny rooms. They were equipped with a miniature fridge, different cabinets, and a set of blinds.

"Hey, scrub. You up?" A voice came from the upper bunk. But it was early, so he rubbed his eyes, and grumbled.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." A head poked from the bunk, revealing a pair of eyes that looked directly at him.

"What do you want, Peter?" He replied.

"Only what you have, scrub. Listen, I ran out of instant Flat-Cakes, can I borrow one?" Sonrey looked at him with a tired look, and said,

"I would if I could, but I just ate my last one yesterday."

"Fine then. I guess I'll be forced to eat cereal again. Like always." His head disappeared from view.

Peter Constantine Von Kerman was his full name, and the son of Manfred Von Kerman, and because of his father, was guaranteed in the aerospace piloting program, one of the most prestigious programs the KSP had to offer. He nicknamed Sonrey "Scrub" after the day when they first met. Sonrey was cleaning up after Manfred, who had just split an entire keg of maple syrup onto his desk. Sonrey was told to clean all of it up when his son came into the room. He had no particular dislike for Peter, but at times he could be annoying.

After a quick shower, and secret Flat-Cake, he made his way down to the main offices, where he would hopefully get word back on whoever accepted his application. He exited the building to see a clear, beautiful sky, And plenty of commotion. He took a left, down to the offices, where the path took him through a walkway of trees. They were in full blossom too, a color of orange, yellow and red, the testing shifts were back on schedule, as for the trees, well, those were pink. These thoughts however, were interrupted by the nearby tree shaking, letting lots of pink blossom flowers fall to the ground. It would have been much prettier, had a Kerbal not fallen from the tree as well. Sonrey rushed over to check that he was okay, and shook his shoulder.

"Owww. My head…" The Kerbal grumbled, puffing pink leaves out of his mouth.

"Are, you alright?" Sonrey looked into his eyes, and saw something strange about them. The kerbal looked embarrassed, almost even flustered.

"I- Uhh… Well, you see, I was… That is-" He obviously seemed embarrassed. He had very slight country accent about him.

"It's alright, I won't tell." he laughed. "You got a name?"

He stood up, brushing a hair off his face. "Uhh- Fletcher. It's Fletcher."

"Pleased to meet you, The name's Sonrey." He held his hand out, and they shook. Something seemed off about him, but he couldn't point out what.

"Gotta split, See ya around?"

"Sure thing, Fletcher." He walked away from Sonrey, spitting pedals out of his mouth. Sonrey shook his head, smiled and walked away.

He arrived at the office building, taking care not to show how desperately nervous he was. The thought of not being accepted by anyone in the facility was, nerve-wracking, To say the least. He passed the line of Kerbals who were headed for preliminary assessment. His feet dragged him to the main secretary, Tara, who was busy on the phone, so He stood by the counter, waiting for her to be done. Looking around, Sonrey saw a group of applicants who looked like they had just been on a jetpack explosion. Another few wobbled out of the bathroom, looking sickly.

"How can I help you Sonrey?" Tara was finished on the phone.

"Ah, yeah, were any of my applications accepted? I submitted four, three specific applications and one general application." Tara flipped through the message box.

"Ah you do have a message, from the internship department!" She pulled out an envelope, and handed it to him through the half-circle in the glass. Sonrey's heart almost skipped a beat, he was so Relieved. He said his thanks to Tara, and rushed out the office, envelope in hand.

On his way back, he passed by the tree that Fletcher had fallen out of, the groundskeeper was grumbling at the pile of leaves, which had a substantial amount of debris, and he was sweeping them up into the black trashbag he had brought. He continued walking, until a reflection of light caught his attention. It was coming from the pile that the groundskeeper was sweeping up! A sense of curiosity swept over him.

"Excuse me! Can i look in that pile real quick?" The groundskeeper looked over at him, grunted, and shrugged. He swept away at the pile with his hands, and found the source of the reflection.

"An objective lens?" Milbo looked at him questionably. They were sitting in his bunk, eating a lunch of Tamato-In-Noodles.

"That's right. It's the part of a telescope that captures light and shines it back to the person looking through it." He took another bite.

"I know what the lens do, I'm just wondering why you called me here." Sonrey put his plate down, and scooted closer.

"I'll tell you the whole story. I was on my way to the office to pick up my application, but on the way, this guy by the name of Fletcher, fell out of a tree." Milbo looked with a quizzical face.

"There's more, he was seriously nervous to see me. Almost flustered, even." Milbo finished his Pasta and said,

"Well, he did just fall out of a tree." Sonrey laid back on his pillow.

"I'm not sure. There's a clear difference between nervous and embarrassed." Milbo scratched his neck and said,

"Well, good luck Mr. Detective. I have to go take my weekly physical. I'll talk to you later." Sonrey nodded, and opened the curtain for him to leave. Lots of things were giving him questions.

"Who is this Fletcher?"

"Why did he fall out of a tree?"

"What was he doing with an objective lens?"

The questions made him drowsy, and a few minutes later, he was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - New bosses

_The winter Morning is cold. The sweat on his brow makes it colder. The oldest gives no aid to help the freezing child. They sit there, and wait for an aid that has yet to arrive._

Sonrey awoke sweating, clutching his blanket in a tight grip.

_"I need to stop eating before I sleep." _He thought, and sat up. He realized that he had never opened up his letter. He grabbed it, ripping it open, making haste to unveil its contents.

_Dear Sonrey Kerman,_

_ This letter is to inform you that you have been accepted by a professor, so that you might continue your internship until either, your untimely death, the termination of the internship, or you complete the next {FIVE} months._

_ Your Professor will be {PROFESSOR JAXSON}. Report to his office {Room LP-1}, the day after you receive this message._

_ Signed, Head of KSP & Lunch Facilities,_

_ Charles F. Kerman_

"Jaxson? Who on Kerbin is Jaxson?" Sonrey put his hand over his mouth, not expecting words to come out.

"I know who that is." Peter poked his head out from the top bunk.

"Who is he then?" Sonrey had never heard of any 'Jaxson' fellow, so the thought of a brand new professor was indeed intriguing. Peter flipped Right-side-up, and landed on his feet upon the bed.

"He's the newest Professor here; I hear he's a bit absent minded, but a good fellow. I heard he passed the exams by a technicality though, so I would probably double-check whatever he says with a textbook." Peter stood up, grabbed onto the curtain railing, and pulled himself up onto his own bed before Sonrey could utter 'Thanks'. He figured that now would be a good time to meet the man, before his duties start. He got up from his bed, and walked toward his office.

"You have got to be kidding me. This can't be right." He arrived at the "office" of Jaxson Kerman. If you could call it that. His office was located directly underneath the Launch Pad! The opening was a three year old bunker door, with a spinning hatch opening.

"What did this guy do to deserve such punishment?" he grumbled to himself, and started to turn the door hatch.

Three minutes later, he was inside, but the door closed behind him. He couldn't see at all in front of him, so he looked for a light switch. He felt his way inside of a room, the floor was wet, and he bumped his shin into something hard. It stunk in this place. His hand crept around, and he felt a chain. A light switch? Nope. It was a toilet flusher. The sound of a toilet flushing echoed throughout the area. His feet suddenly felt wet.

_"No. No. NO! Don't tell me. it's…"_His fears were confirmed. The toilet was overflowing.

"YEACHH!" He screamed and ran out of the room, Running head on into a wall. But the wall wasn't empty. There was a 'rip' Sound, and his neck suddenly felt heavy.

"YEOUCH!" The collision was still painful. He stumbled backward, yelling. He walked a couple of feet, until he was sure the ground wasn't wet anymore and that the danger was over. It wasn't. He took a single step back, and tripped on something on the ground, flipping backward. His mouth was suddenly filled with something. a wax-like substance.

"ACK!" He spat out whatever was in his mouth, and a metallic clang, sounded, followed by a creak. A thud followed that, and more, smaller thumps began.

"Oh no." The sound continued for a few more seconds, and stopped. Sonrey sighed in relief, and figured he should try to find the light again. The relief was short lived. A Stone of some sort fell and made a Large CRASH. Shrapnel flew in every direction. Something glass was shattered, and fell to the floor. Sonrey's arm was cut, and a container fell to the ground, much like his knees. A wind began to blow, and the next thing he knew, a fluttering sound filled the room, falling from the roof.

At this moment, he heard the door begin to open. Sonrey swore under his breath, and tried futilely to get to the light switch, despite the pitch blackness of the room. The door opened, revealing a figure.

"Professor Jaxson?" He asked nervously.

"Indeed." The

"Sonrey Kerman, reporting, Sir."


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - First impressions

Professor Jaxson Took five slow steps down and flipped a switch on the wall. The room was entirely illuminated. It only took him an instant to realize the damage. The rip was caused by his head running into a painting, which was now around his neck. The bookcase contents were entirely emptied onto the ground, and the stone was a marble bust of some sort. The wax, was as he thought, a candle, which had hit a telescope that now had a two inch dent in the frame of it. The room itself was pretty fancy for being located under the launch pad. It consisted of a hardwood floor, Wall paneling and red rug, that ran up from the entrance up to his Oak wood desk.

"You are, who again?" Jaxson walked up to him.

"Ahem. I'm Sonrey Kerman, your new student. We haven't met before, so I thought I would come down here to surprise you." Sonrey's face was red, and he knew it. Jaxson looked around slowly, and said,

"Surprise me, indeed." He held his hand out to shake Sonrey's, and Sonrey Held his out. At least, he would have had there not been a painting around his neck.

"Oh! Do you want this back?" He slipped out of the painting, and handed it back to Jaxson, putting it on his extended arm.

"And here I was thinking that a stranger dressed as a ninja who was trying to steal my car in a dine-and-dash, was the craziest thing I've ever seen." He took the painting off his arm, and walked over to where it was before. He looked at a large crack in the wall, and asked,

"Was that you too?" Sonrey looked over and sheepishly nodded, his heart was racing. Jaxson hung the painting on the nail that it must have originally been on. He hadn't noticed what was on the painting before, but it depicted a Rocket ship flying away from Kerbin, but there was a hole right where Kerbin should have been.

"Ah, good as new! Don't you agree?" He turned his head over toward Sonrey,

"Well, aside from the hole in the middle." Jaxson walked over to observe the rest of the room, and sat on his chair.

"Think nothing of it." He replied, putting his feet on the desk. Sonrey's heart almost skipped a beat.

"Wait, what? You're going to let me off the hook?" Jaxson leaned over in his chair to pick up his wax candle.

"Well, yes. I don't think anyone is capable to doing something like this on purpose, right?" he motioned his arms in the way of the massive mess.

"I- I- I don't believe this. I thought I was a goner. I figured you would be furious." Jaxson leaned over and picked up the loose papers surrounding his desk, and turned the fan off.

"Well surprised, I was. But mad? No. I've seen crazier." He arranged the papers back into their respective folders, and continued "A fellow once threw a toaster at me because I wouldn't accept a fake twenty dollar bill written on cardboard."

"What was he trying to buy?" Sonrey started to help picking up the various pens that now littered the ground.

"Pickled Sausages." Jaxson took a small hammer out of his lab coat, and straightened out the telescope.

"That's disgusting. Why did he think you would sell him pickled sausages?" Sonrey picked up the shards of glass from a broken vase.

"Because I was running an ice cream van." Sonrey looked over at him in confusion.

"An Ice cream van? That doesn't exactly explain why he threw a toaster at you." Jaxson picked up the books and organized them accordingly.

"Some things are meant to be left a mystery. Perhaps that was just one of them." Sonrey chuckled at the scenario, and put the glass shards into the proper bin.

"So, professor, tell me, why is your office located underneath the launch pad?" Sonrey picked up the broken bust, and set it upright. Jaxson looked over at him, and a dark gaze came over his eyes.

"Kiddo, let me tell you, that I'm only here because the board of directors thought I was a lost cause, but I persuaded them that I could be fixed, like all other problems. That's how I live. I never accept that something is unfixable." Sonrey straightened the rug, and asked,

"What do you mean?" He finished up with the rug and looked up.

"look around you, kiddo." He did, and upon doing so, realized that the previous catastrophe, was now a sparkling clean room. Sonrey was surprised at the transformation.

"Whoa. I can see what you mean." Sonrey opened his mouth again, but was interrupted by a Massive rumble. The whole room shook, and Sonrey immediately seeked cover. Jaxson however, Just kicked his feet back on the desk. The whole room began to gyrate. The bust fell over and landed right in front of sonrey, again, sending shards of broken stone into Sonrey's face. The Telescope also had fallen, hitting Sonrey's already injured Knee.

"AGH!" A piece slashed his forehead, and hand. He grasped his hand in pain, and looked over at the telescope.

"The objective lens. It's missing!" Blood ran down his face. he reached out to the telescope with his uninjured hand, and put the lens he had found earlier that day, into the empty spot where it fit perfectly. He took it back out, and Jaxson looked back at him, his eyes widened.

"Sonrey, your head is blee-" He fainted. Apparently he didn't have any tolerance for blood.

He exited the room, but not without some trouble. The palm of his already injured hand was scraped with a stray screw. Overall, he had a Slashed and bashed knee, hand, forehead, and there was smaller punctures on the left side of his face. He hobbled to the main offices, and began to feel dizzy.

"Whoa, Sonrey what happened?" He looked up to find Fletcher, kneeling above him. Sonrey reached for him, but he passed out on the ground.

_The Young one knows it was an accident. His teeth chatter . It could only have been. The oldest one wasn't capable of this sort of cruel deed. The middle one was only watching, he had no reason to confront the oldest one. For if he did. They may never leave the boat alive. He knew it. The cold air was freezing the blood on his forehead. And a single act, remains buried in his subconscious, with his unwillingness to accept it._


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Recovery

"Sonrey! SONREY, WAKE UP!" Sonrey sat straight up, and realized he was sweating immensely. Fletcher was standing next to him, and he realized he was in the Doctor's room, on the recovery bed.

"Are you alright? You were curling up in a ball, and your body temperature dropped twelve degrees." Sonrey put his hand on his head, and realized he had stitches on his forehead. The room was painted a beige and there was a small bathroom to the right of him. It was dark outside. He looked over at Fletcher, who had black marks all over his arms, and pair of suspenders on his shoulders.

"You're an engineer, Fletcher?" Fletcher nodded,

"Yep, building and fixing ships is my speciality. You however, I couldn't fix." He chuckled, and his face got more serious.

"What happened to you, Sonrey? The doctor had to do surgery on your Knee, and that hand of yours is going to have some scarring." Sonrey looked at his hand, and gripped the Bandage around it, wincing in pain.

"It's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you." Fletcher pulled up a stool, and sat down.

"I've got time, so let's hear it."

Sonrey told him of what happened, the letter, the office, the catastrophe that happened, the new professor, and the bust that had caused so much damage.

"My god, man. That's horrible." He scooted closer.

"Yeah, tell that to me. My head is throbbing." Fletcher Stood up, and put the stool back.

"Well, it's been fun, but try not to get injured anymore, okay?" Sonrey nodded, and managed a smile.

"I have some late-night shipwork to do, but I'll be sure to see you around." Fletcher left the room and closed the door. Sonrey smiled, there was something he liked about Fletcher, and he couldn't figure out what.

Sonrey looked at the poster across from the bed, and it read:

_"To prevent germs from spreading, do the following:_

_Breathe less when around others._

_Wash your food before eating._

_Shake hands only when wearing gloves._

_Avoid rusty dogs and rabid nails._

_The welfare of all Kerbals, Thanks you for your cooperation."_

He dismissed the poster, and rolled onto his side. He saw an envelope, and a small box on the pedestal, both addressed to him. He reached over with his injured hand and picked up the envelope. Inside was a card, He opened it with his good hand. It read:

_Hey Sonrey,_

_I Heard you had taken a beating Today. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you out, but I was getting my briefing on the pilot mission earlier. I came to check on you, but you were unconscious, so I hope this card will do. I know it's not much, but if it helps, the mission i'm going in is expected to be the first one to orbit the Mun. Wish me luck!_

_Your Partner-in-Crime,_

_Milbo Kerman_

The card gave Sonrey a smile. He thought himself lucky to have friends like his. He reached over for the small box, which looked to be from KSP High Command. Upon opening it, he found a small medal in a padded case, and an engraved piece of metal. It read:

_"For your bravery, in and out of the line of duty,_

_KSP High Command awards you:_

_The Darker Violet Heart,_

_For being injured in the line of duty."_

"Pfft, whatever." He put the box next to the card, and laid back, putting his head on the hospital pillow. It was ridiculous what they awarded people. Jebediah alone could probably build a new spaceship out of all the medals he'd gotten. He felt that wave of envy come across him, but was soon replaced by a wave of drowsiness.

Over the next few days, he started to recover, and with the exciting news of Milbo's successful orbit around the Mun, it boosted spirits around the Space Center. After another day of bed rest, he was allowed to move around again, and his knee was almost fully healed. Two Months passed, and the planet began to delve into winter. The launchings were scheduled less frequent, and things began to freeze up. The tracking station was in constant need of repairs, the engine fuel froze up mid-launch, and despite this, the enthusiasm was high. Professor Jaxson was just as cryptic as he was when they first met, and it seemed as though he refused to let Sonrey know too much about him. Despite this, he was a very wise tutor, and with his help, passed the final internship tests. He never did find out what Fletcher was doing with the objective lens, anytime he tried to ask, he was interrupted by someone or something. Milbo rose quickly to the top of the test piloting ranks, with thirty-two successful pilots, he almost was as prestigious as Jebediah himself. As for Peter, well he was snobby as always.

It was the last day of his Internship, and to celebrate, Milbo had invited him to the club, with a VIP pass to the bar, and bowling.

Sonrey exited the Launch pad, hiding his face in his Jacket. The Flurries this time of year were worse than some. His Eyes were getting dangerously cold, but he had to keep moving to get to the Astronaut Complex. The snow was almost half a meter deep, off of the paths, and the whole peninsula was engulfed in a white wonderworld, and he felt something warm drip down his face. Worried, he took off his glove to wipe where his head was. But there was nothing. All he felt was the slight scar that ran up his forehead.

"That was weird", He thought. He returned the glove to his hand, and The Astronaut Complex was just up ahead.

Upon entering, he found Milbo standing by the Bar, and he waved to Sonrey, motioning for him to come over.

"Congratulations!" Milbo held out his hand, and he shook it firmly.

"I can't believe it, My little Sonrey, all grown up now!" He pinched Sonrey's cheeks, and made a goo-goo face at him.

"Ah, stop it you dork." Sonrey smiled and they both laughed.

"Well, I don't know about you, but i'm not getting any younger here. let's go hit the Pins."

They walked up to the VIP lounge, and swiped the card to enter. Inside, they put their shoes onto the benches. While Milbo went to go get the shoes, he picked out the bowling balls. Walking up, he found the two correct weights for the both of them. A nine pound, and an eight pound. It was at this moment he got a fiendish plan. He reached into his pocket, and found his file, which he had been using earlier to make a replacement wooden bust for Jaxson. He picked up the nineteen pound ball, and began to file away at the 'one'.

He hobbled over to the ball return, holding the replacement ball. He knew Milbo was a much better player than he was, and it was his tradition to sabotage whatever game they were playing in some way. Once, he was playing Billiards and prior to the game, he had put a vial of termites into the center Milbo's pool cue. When he went to break, he was surprised to find the cue split in half. Another time, when playing some golf, he threw a clay ball into his bag. when he hit it, he was surprised to find it disintegrated upon hit. To this day, he always hit a bit softer than before.

"You ready?" Milbo handed him his pair of bowling shoes, and Sonrey nodded to take the first turn. Standing up, he grasped the ball in hand, and held it to his face.

"You ready to lose Milbo?" He glanced quickly over his shoulder to see him reply,

"I'll be ready for something, that's for sure." And with that, Sonrey took three steps and released the ball. Right into the gutter.

"That was my demonstration of how not to do it. This time however. I'm feeling it this time though." The ball popped back up, and he grabbed it.

"Alright, now this time let's see your such obvious skill" He made a bowing motion with his arms. Sonrey took one deep breath, and Imagined the trajectory of the ball, with spin applied. Slowly, he took the three steps, and let the ball run along the ground, following the line his mind drew.

"Spare." He turned around to find Milbo with eyes wide, and a lot wider than usual.

"Alright Son-man. You're on." He stood up, and Sonrey took his seat.

"I'll show you how I roll when I- WHOA!" He was not expecting the weight of the ball to be as it was. It fell with a loud 'CLUNK' and the lane shook, knocking over one of the pins.

"You little-" He held his tongue, and gave him the face of "I'm going to get you". Sonrey couldn't keep in his laughter, and was bursting out on the bench. They both started to laugh, and after he got a new ball, they played as normal, just two friends.

It was late by the time they finished, Milbo won with a one point lead. They exited the VIP lounge, and the bartender was busy cleaning up a mess on the ground. The world outside was still frozen in a white blizzard.

"Hey, That was a good game" He laughed and put his hand on Milbo's shoulder.

"Well, for you, yes. If i hadn't gotten a 5-10 split on the last one, I would have won."

"Ah, little things. Speaking of that, I got a graduation gift for you." He handed Sonrey an envelope, one that looked important.

"Is this a letter to me? From High Command?" He looked over it. Sure enough, it was addressed to him. It contained the 'Important Stamp of Importance' on it's seal.

"It sure is, I wanted to deliver it myself."

Sonrey wasted no time ripping it open. Inside, it said:

_Dear Sonrey Kerman:_

_Congratulations Sonrey Kerman on completing your four-year internship! The Council has decided, and it is with great pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted as a valued astronaut in the KSP! Please report to mission control to receive your briefing._

_Good luck,_

_Kerbal High Command_

"YEAH-HA!" Sonrey shouted at the ceiling, making Milbo jump a bit. His whole life had never been better than how it was right now. His work had paid off, and he fantasized about traveling to the Mun, or even Minmus. The thought of accelerating at thirty Gees was freeing, not only from Kerbin, but from life. Life on Kerbin was too slow for his tastes.

"Good job, Son-man." He held out his hand to shake. Sonrey gave him a great big bear-hug instead.

"I can't wait. Finally i'll be getting off of this rock." His heart was lifted higher than the stars, that soon, he'd be visiting.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Have a Plan

The next days passed before his eyes, leading to the briefing, given by the most crew-cut man they could find. There, the infamous 'Douglas MacKerman', who was an army man through-and-through, Was standing behind a podium, with his pipe, in a dark room which was only illuminated by the projector shining onto the screen behind him.

"I'll assume you are the Sonrey Kerman, I've heard so much about?" He walked up as Sonrey stood at attention.

"Hmph. Pathetic. They just don't make the astronauts the way they used to. That Jebediah now, THAT was a real specimen." Sonrey bit his cheek, and tried to resist the urge to punch a new hole in his pipe.

"Still, I gotta make do with who I'm given. Let's get this over with." He walked bad behind the podium, and picked up a projector remote control.

"You may take your seat."

"Yes sir." He took a seat at front, closest to the projector.

"Alright, now pay attention, because I'm only going to say this once. You are planned to command the first multi-crew spacecraft, complete with a group of three, including yourself, to get into a high, and stable orbit around the Mun." He switched to a slide that depicted the flight plan. "You and your crew are going to take physical observations, and take note of any good possible landing places for Jebediah's Mun 12 Landing." He switched slides again.

"If I may sir, Why can't we just land there ourselves?" Douglas's eyebrow rose.

"Two words: You're incapable. We need someone with balls to be able to pull off this sort of landing."

"Well I've been training in landing procedures, and we could bring back plenty of rock samples, do tests, perhaps-"

"Did I stutter?" Douglas interrupted, and very rudely too. He walked off the podium, and stuck his face into Sonrey's. "When I said 'Observational' That means LOOK ONLY. L-U-K. Do I make myself clear?" He could smell his tobacco breath.

"No Sir, you did not stutter. I understand."Sonrey felt Dejection.

"Good. Now, the parameters of the crew are stated here, you need one of each who is qualified enough to fulfill the position. Who you choose is up to you. But stay away from Bill, Bob, Or Jebediah, they are OFF LIMITS. DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

"Yes sir." Sonrey picked up a pamphlet, and flipped through it.

"GOOD. You have three days to prepare." He turned off the projector, clapped his hands, and the lights turned on.

"I'll find my crew." Sonrey nodded at Douglas, and headed for the door.

"You'd better, I'd hope that your last four years weren't in vain. DISMISSED." Sonrey gritted his teeth, his insults were getting irritating.

Upon leaving, he read over the three positions:

1) Science Specialist

2) Pilot

3) Engineer Specialist

The science position was easy. Sonrey specialized in the field, and with that, he checked off the box next to 'Science Specialist', and signed his name on the dotted line. The other two however, would be harder to find. On his way out of the building,and into the cold, he thought to himself,

"Milbo!" he knew that Milbo would gladly help him out, and sure enough, later that day, he was signed on. And that made two down, and one more to go. Who could have been qualified to be his engineer?

He entered the Vehicle assembly building, and the engineers were busy working on the ship. There stood a large vessel, about three stories tall. it had four large solid fuel boosters, but in a configuration he had never seen before. Instead of the primary engines being on bottom, they were on top, like a tug boat. There were radial engines on the primary hull, and solar panels equipped. There were engineers working on bits and pieces, painting on all the important containers like 'Food' and 'Not Food'. One was patching a hole with some chewing gum. Scientists were there observing the construction, then there were the workers, who did odd jobs, like transport materials, and direct ships to the launch pad. One of them was chewing on his glow stick.

"A beaut' isn't she? Twelve thousand pounds of thrust, three-hundred-sixty degree maneuvering thrusters, automatic docking procedures, a three terawatt computer, and enough oxygen to last six years in space." He looked behind him to see Fletcher, with a wrench in his hand, and a large black smudge on his face.

"Is she our ship?" Sonrey inquired.

"No, not ours. Yours, remember? Engineers don't go into space." Fletcher sighed and looked at the large craft.

"How would you like to change that?" He handed Fletcher the clipboard, and a pen.

"Are you- Are you for real?" His eyes were wide, and he moved closer to Sonrey. "I never thought that they'd never do the smart thing for once, and send repair crews on manned craft.

"In that case, can I count on you to join us?" He tapped the board with his finger.

"You can bet on it." He signed his name on the line after 'Engineer Specialist".

He walked up to the offices, where Tara was sitting, like usual. There was a bigger commotion around here than normal, he overheard a group of scientists complaining that something wrong with the tracking dishes.

"Hey Tara, I've got my Crew form all filled out, and i'm ready to submit it." She looked up from her desk.

"Already? In one day?" She took the form, and looked over it, stamping, checking, and signing through all the different pages. "It looks good, I'll sent it through priority mail an-" She was interrupted by a phone ringing. "Sorry, one second."

"It's fine." He waited for a few seconds, and she handed the phone through the paper hole in the glass window.

"It's for you." Confused, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sonrey? It's Douglas MacKerman. We've made a slight change in your crew plan."

"What do you mean, 'Change'?"

"Nothing too serious, we'll keep your current crew, but command wants to send a supervising officer, to observe how a multi-crew works under stress."

"I see, any idea who will be this Officer will be?"

"Yes, I have his name right here. Ozbon Kerman."

Sonrey tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak.

"Sonrey? Don't you dare hang up on me, now."

"I see sir. Thank you sir." He handed the phone back to Tara. "Thanks Tara, I'll be going now." She looked at him and said,

"Is something the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think I have."


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Preparations

"Ozbon? Hah! That's great! The whole gang is back again!" Milbo exclaimed. They were sitting by the bar. Sonrey had a glass of rum, as usual, and Milbo was eating a plate of assorted snacks and he had his usual Triple Caramel Sextuple Chocolate Double Frappuccino Macchiato Deluxe Espresso Latte.

"Yeah, it's real great. It's just- never mind." Sonrey couldn't shake this weird feeling off of his mind. He thought he should be excited to see him again after five years, but it felt… wrong.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's always hard to expect seeing someone after five years. that's why I snuck up on you last year." He patted Sonrey on the back, and he almost spit out his drink onto the table. He wiped a drop from his chin, and said,

"Perhaps you're right. Besides, we'll be plenty busy preparing for the flight. Rumor has it that the engineering division has spent a few extra days testing out all this equipment, so we won't have a repeat of the 'Contender' Incident." The whole room stopped immediately, took off their hats and synchronously said:

"May the Kraken have mercy on their souls." They placed their hats back, and continued.

"Well, that's reassuring; at least we won't have the airlock open, like the Contender's."

The whole room stopped immediately, took off their hats again, and synchronously said:

"May the Kraken have mercy on their souls." Sonrey put the hat back on, put five dollar bill on the bar, and said,

"I'd better go check on some things; I'll talk to you later."

Over the next few weeks, a lot happened. The first few parts of the KSS were sent up into orbit around Kerbin, and the prospects of getting to the Mun was a lot higher, with newer and newer technologies being developed. Some technologies however, were less breakthrough-worthy, like the 'Airbag Launch System', or the 'Umbrella Parachute Theory' Needless to say, none of these worked, but nevertheless, The technologies brought good news to everyone, with the exception of the '101 Uses for Duct Tape in Space' Teachers. But the fact remained that the Mun 11 Launch, which was dubbed 'Project Inquiry', was going to be the prelude to a greater achievement: the Mun. For three weeks, the three trained in a test craft, honing their skills, learning about more efficient uses for plastic wrap, and practicing command abilities. It was down to the last two days before the launch, and Sonrey was told to meet Gene Kerman in mission control, for a last brief on some finalized details.

He walked up, and looked at the door that read 'Mission Control', he also looked to his left to see a large window, the one he had looked through on the day that Wernher had given him his last day of tutoring. Apparently, he had kept looking for the planet that housed the moon he had found. He did eventually find it, in fact, when he did find it, he thought he was just looking at Kerbin. A cleaning boy of his told him that's not how telescopes work, and that boy was immediately promoted to be a test pilot.

Taking a deep breath, he walked into the room, where red lights were flashing, and people were scuttling about, trying to find ways to fix a fuel shortage in space.

"Sonrey! In my office, if you would.' Gene Kerman pointed to a glass room on the other side of the room. He nodded, and they entered.

"Sonrey, I have someone I'd like you to meet. He should arrive any moment now. Cigar?" He held up a box of Cigars and offered one to Sonrey.

"No thanks, my lungs would never forgive me." He pushed the lid closed, and Gene put it back onto his desk.

"Eh, shame. Oh! Here he is now!" He stood up and motioned for someone to come in. He looked over and saw the big figure enter the room.

"Sir, Ozbon Kerman, reporting for duty." His voice was like a ragged tongue had made love with gravel. It almost scared Sonrey to hear it again after so long, and His suit was adorned with medals, but it looked like he was in the military, as opposed to the KSP. It felt like something was grabbing at his collar, so he loosened his tie.

"Ozbon!" He held his hand out to high-five, but Ozbon put his out to shake, much to his surprise. Trying to make it look as natural as possible, he pretended to be stretching, and yawned. "Oh man, talk about pre-flight drowsiness, heh. Ahem. Anyway." He shook firmly, and in doing so, Ozbon turned over his hand. He pointed at the scar on his palm.

"How'd you get that?" Sonrey took his hand back.

"Long story, perhaps later?" Ozbon nodded to it, and turned to Gene, who was puffing on a Cigar. He took it out and said,

"Well, if you two are done here, I think we can begin." He took an easel and put a diagram of the flight path up. "I hope you recognize this flight plan, but we need to change one slight detail." He took off the trajectory of the flight, and replaced it with another one. "This will be your new plan." It appeared to be a set of complex flight burns and gravity slingshots.

"Sir, if this is correct" Sonrey said, "Then what we're doing is shooting around the Mun, and use that power to get us to Minmus, and then shoot back at the Mun, looping about, to come back home, am I correct?" Gene puffed on the cigar again.

"You're quite astute. Yes, that is the new plan. The boys at the geometrical lab found that this perfect alignment happens once every two or so years, and we want to take advantage of it." Ozbon stood up,

"Well sir, I think it's a sound idea, what about you Sonrey?" Sonrey was spacing out for a second. He was looking out, at the large flashing lights. The ground crew had successfully destroyed the 'TP-LRS Mk. XLIV'. Someone on a ladder reset the 'this workplace has gone [##] hours without a death' Clock.

"Sonrey?" Gene was waving his hand in front of his face. Sonrey regained his senses, and responded,

"Oh yeah, I agree with him." Gene walked up, puffing on the cigar, and holding two files.

"Then it's decided, I have this map that will tell you both more detailed flight plans than this simple drawing. Be sure to take one on your way out." Sonrey looked out at the big screens, and saw the last few seconds of a poor test pilot's flight. Gene looked quizzically at Sonrey. "Hey, Sonrey, you launch in two days, don't go spacing out on me now, okay?" He smiled with the cigar in his mouth, and dismissed the two of them.

"Well, how about that. Two planets in one flight, crazy, right?" He looked over at Ozbon, whom he had expected a witty answer from, but all he got was an eyebrow movement. "No? Alright."

"I agree with Gene's Decision, but that doesn't mean i'm at liberty to speak my own opinion." Sonrey looked at him with a skeptical face.

"Riiiiiiight…" They exited the building, and Sonrey was almost afraid to ask him how he's been the last five years, so he kept quiet.

Later, he was in the lounge discussing the plans with fletcher, who had his hair at Ear-Length now, and Milbo, who was eating more snacks from the bar bowl.

"Wow, two fly-byes in one flight? That's never been done before." Milbo was pointing at the map.

"Not until today, because us three will be the first." Sonrey grabbed the map, and began to open his mouth when a gravel voice said,

"I believe you meant 'us four." They all looked up to see Ozbon standing there, still in his Class-A Uniform, and holding the same file Sonrey had gotten. Milbo stood up, smiling, they shook hands, and he asked,

"How have you been, you old dog?" Ozbon pulled up a chair, and ate a pretzel.

"I have been well, and yourselves?" Fletcher looked quizzically at Ozbon. Sonrey decided to introduce Fletcher to Ozbon, when he remembered that he wasn't part of his childhood friend group.

"We've been good! Oh, and this is Fletcher. He's our Engineering specialist." They shook hands.

"Pleased to meet you, Fletcher."

"...Likewise."

"Well, now that the gang is all back together, how about a story from Ozbon, eh? I'm sure you have plenty to tell, right?" Milbo looked at Ozbon intensively. Ozbon just stared. Milbo lifted his brows and tilted his head towards Ozbon.

"Unfortunately, if I were to tell you even the least exciting thing I knew, I couldn't. Because it's all classified." Milbo looked over at Sonrey. Sonrey just shrugged. "If you'll excuse me it's getting late, and I need to prepare for the journey." He then stood up and left. Milbo put a confused look on, and looked at Sonrey.

"Was that Ozbon that just talked to us? Or was it an android?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but he's right. We should probably get ready for the trip." They stood up, said good night, and left to their respective places.

That night, they all dreamt.

_Sonrey was above Milbo, he says that there is no way to slow down now. They'll be stuck out here forever. Looking behind them to check on Fletcher and Ozbon, he finds not them, but what remains of them. Two dead Corpses, Aged to death. He scurries back, telling Milbo to try harder. There is no response, he grabs his shoulder to shake him, but he removes his arm. Looking down at his scarred hand, he sees a wrinkle appear its palm. He finds a mirror, and observes the grotesque appearance of rapid aging. His skin dies, his hair fall out, and rigor mortis sets in. He cannot move, but he is conscious. Every second is a year. He sees the ship fall apart, consoles rust, controls break, the life support dies. And then, the airlock opens, along with every bolt still left in the ship. His last moments take him into Kerbol, but he knows no one will miss him. A tear begins to form on his dead eye, but it dries up as he plunges into the star._

_Milbo Sits at the controls, and disengaged the final stage, they pulled off every trick in the correct fashion. Now, all that was left was the final descent. They begin to feel gravity, and wind resistance. The flames engulf the capsule, and they are now in comm darkness, until the ship slows down. It goes well. He radioed KSP, and tells them they are all okay. They feel the jolt as the slowing parachutes deploy, and second one as the main one deploys. But then they feel a third one. Milbo doesn't understand how it could have happened, he frantically searches for a way out, but Douglas MacKerman blocks the port. _

_"I always knew you were a failure." he says. Milbo looks back around, and sees Gene sitting in his pilot seat._

_"You never could do anything correctly." he says. Milbo steps back. and sees that they are only ten seconds from the ground. Everyone looks at him._

_"We knew you were incapable."_

_"He was a fool to trust you."_

_"You never should have agreed."_

_"You always did mess up at the worst of times."_

_"Failure. Failure. FAILURE."_

_Fletcher sat under a tree, building a wooden plane, A woman comes out of a nearby house._

_"Honey! Hurry up; you're going to be late for dinner!" Fletcher puts away the plane by the tree and runs in, then goes to the bathroom to wash up. Looking up, he sees his mother, dead, standing there in the reflection._

_"THEY WILL KNOW." she says. Screaming, he looks around him. But she disappears. He shouts for his mother, but no one replies. Fletcher looks cautiously around him, and he sees no one. He walks down the the stairs, and sees his mom leaning over a pot. He goes up to her, and pulls on her dress. She looks down at him, but not with eyes, with a red glare. She is not made of flesh, but rather of metal and computers._

_"You always were able to build your way out of a situation." He looks back, and sees Sonrey standing there. He walks over to fletcher. "You can build anything, anything at all!" He pulls out the wooden plane that belonged to fletcher. "Whether it be a toy, a car, a spaceship… A new life." The roof of his house is blown apart, Nail by nail, wooden planks fall apart. It is all engulfed in a tornado that rips the house from its very foundation. Sonrey leans down to Fletcher, who is in shock at the events. He whispers,_

_"They. Will. Know…." He burns to ash in front of Fletcher's eyes, and is sucked into the twister. They are far above the ground now. He finds a hammer, and tries to grab pieces of the house, to repair it if at all possible. Looking back, a young girl and her mother yell out to him from a tornado shelter, telling him to stop, and get inside. He Closes the hatch shut, and yells to them,_

_"I'm going to be all right! Don't-". He is ripped away from the hatch. The girl sits inside, crying for the sudden loss of her father._

_Ozbon stands in front of a podium, hundreds of people standing in front of him._

_"What would our newest hero like to say to the world?" Gene asks, waving to the crowd, _

_"Well, i'd just like to say that-" He looks over at Sonrey, Milbo, And Fletcher, who are in handcuffs, and are being taken away, guns drawn at their heads. Gene looks at him expectantly._

_"Well, Ozbon?" Ozbon pushes Gene away, and strips off the medal he's been awarded._

_"No. No. They're…" He struggles to push out the words. "They're N-Rghh…" Something inside him aches to say 'GUILTY OF TREASON'. But he can't. He won't. "TheY'RE InNOCeNT!"_

_He Rushes over to the guards, dispatches both of them easily. and takes one of their guns. _

_"Ozbon! I thought you were loyal to the parliamentary. Have the rebel sympathizers run so far deep in our government?" He walks toward Ozbon._

_"Don't take another step! I'll fire!" He aims his gun for a chest wound._

_"Do it. Then I don't think you'd have the guts to." Ozbon looks at his friends, who have been beaten, both physically and mentally. "I always knew you were a weakling. Your compassion made you weak. I thought I had taught you better than that." Lashing out in a fit of rage, he attacked gene, pinning him against the stairs. _

_The gun dropped, it fired into the air, hitting something in the distance. He grabs Gene's head, and begins punching it with his elbow. Gene gives little resistance, and in a few seconds, he grabs him by his lapels, and throws him into the concrete stairs. Blood seeps onto the ground. Lifting him up, he stops dead to see that where Gene once was, is now Sonrey. He holds up the body._

_"No. NO. NO!" He sets it down. His eyes fill with tears._

_"__...not again, Sonrey..."_


End file.
